Socket for artificial limbs



P. A. MARTINO SOCKET FOR ARTIFICIAL LIMBS Filed Jan. 5, 1940 S y e n TAug'. 19, 1941.

Patented Aug. 19, 1941 "YGFFICE 1` g Vsookncl Foa `ARTIFICIAL LIMBs I'Philip;A. Martino, QBoston, Mass.. Application January 5, 1940,SerialNo. `312,606

This invention relates to a socket for van `artificial limb, the generalobject of'the 4invention being to provide cushion means tfor the socketwhich will enable the person `to walk with cornfort and when sttingdownwill conform with the stump -and `permit the person to sit with comfortand the socket will not injure furniture or the like.

This invention also consists in certain other features of constructionand in the combination and arrangement of the several parts to behereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing andspecifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to theaccompanying drawing wherein like characters denote like orcorresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

'2 Claims.

Figure 1 is a side view of the improved socket.

Figure 2 is a rear view thereof.

Figure 3 is a view of the interior sleeve which nts in the metal socket,the lining being removed.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a sectional view through the rubber pad.

In these views the letter A indicates the metal socket member forattachment at its lower end to the leg part of an artificial limb and asshown this metal socket is cut out at the rear to leave a large openinga at the rear thereof which extends through the upper edge of the metalsocket. 'I'his opening is so large that it will make the socket memberwhen composed either of metal or wood, slightly resilient so that thesocket member can expand or contract as the stump of the leg of the userexpands and contracts. As will be seen this socket member is for usewith above the knee amputations. Also the major part of the socketmember is set forward from the center of the knee, as will be seen fromFigure 1, which shows a socket member for use with the right leg andwith the opening a at the rear. A sleeve or tubular member B fits withinthe metal socket and is formed of leather or the like. The top of thesleeve slopes downwardly from one side to the opposite side to conformto the socket member and said top is reinforced in any suitable mannerto provide the thickened end edge I and a U- shaped covering 2 of softleather is placed over this thickened part I and is sewn thereto asshown at 3, this part 2 extending only over the high par-t of the4sleeve and from the ends of this part 2 the upper edge I is cut away asshown (Cl. 379), c. i

at I and this `cut away part'eXtends over the low side I'ofthe `edge andis covered by a rubber mem'- ber `4 of substantially U-shaped in crosssection as shown in lFigure 6 with one limb longer than the other andwith fthe long limb'engaging the interior 'part of the top Yportionofthe sleeve and the short limb the exterior part, see Figure 4. Thisrubber member or part 2 is covered by a top edge of a piece of soitleather 5 which forms a lining for the sleeve as shown in Figures 1, 4and 5 and the parts are sewn together by the stitching 6. All the partscan be cemented together as well as stitched. Of course, a portion ofthe sleeve is exposed by the cut away part a of the metal shell and thisexposed part of the sleeve is covered by soft leather 1. As Will be seenfrom Figure 3 a par-t of the cushion or saddle at the upper end of thedevice is formed of leather and another part of rubber with the low partof the cushion and saddle of greater thickness and width than the upperpart formed by the leather 2. around the stump and pelvis bone and itcauses the device to grip the stump of the leg so that the limb will notturn out of position and it also acts to relieve any unnecessary shocks,such as walking up and down stairs, jumping, stepping 01T curbs, etc.

Thus it will be seen that the leather sleeve with the padding at theupper end thereof forms a comfortable lining for the metal socket sothat the stump is held in the socket without coming in contact with anymetal part and by cutting away the rear of the metal socket when theuser sits down only the leather part will come against the chair orobject seated upon so that this will yield and thus add to the comfortof the user while he is sitting down and as the metal parts do not touchthe chair or other object such object is not injured by the metal partof the artifi-Y cial leg.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages andnovel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction andin the combination and arrangement of the several parts provided thatsuch changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, What is claimed as new is:

1. In an artiiicial limb, a socket member for receiving the stump of aleg which has been amputated above the knee comprising an outer shellhaving a large opening in its rear part This arrangement gives equalpressure all which passes through the upper end of the shell and to apoint below the transverse center of the shell, said opening being oi alength and width to permit expansion or contraction of the shell as thestump expands and contracts and also to prevent contact of the shellwith an object on which a user of the limb sits, the Vlower end of theshell being formed to provide parts of a knee joint, a leather sleevefitting in the shell and entirely covering the interior walls thereof toa point below the opening in the shell with a part of the sleeve passingacross the opening and a cushion forming part at the upper end of thesleeve and covering said upper end of the sleeve and the upper end ofthe shell and acting to snugly flt around the stump of the leg saidshell being formed of material which has slight resiliency in comparisonwith the material of the sleeve.

2. In an artificial limb, a socket member'ior receiving the stump of aleg Which has been amputated above the knee comprising an outer shellhaving a large opening in its rear part which passes through the upperend of the shell and to a `point below the transverse center of theshell, the opening being of a length and width to permit movement of theshell in accordance with expansion and contraction of the stump and toprevent contact of the shell with an object on which a user of the limbsits, the lower end `of the shell being formed to provide parts of aknee joint, a leather sleeve fitting in the shell and entirely coveringthe interior walls thereof to a point below the opening in the shellwith a part of the sleeve passing across the opening and a cushionforming part at the upper end of the sleeve and covering said upper endof the sleeve and the upper end of the shell and acting to-snugly taround the stump of the leg, the upper end of the shell and sleevesloping downwardly and inwardly from the outer portion thereof toconform to the thigh part of the stump and with the cushion at the highpart being of less dimension than that part of the'cushion at the innerand front and rear side parts, and a, lining covering the interior ofthe sleeve and fitting over the cushion parts said shell being formed ofmaterial of slight resiliency in comparison with the flexibility of thesleeve, the major portion of the shell being set forward of a verticalplane passed through the center of the knee forming part. x

l PHILIPA. MARTINO.=

